“Some teas invite you to travel. Others invite you to stay.”
Tea at a Glance
| Tea | Qi Lan |
|---|---|
| Chinese / Pinyin | 奇兰 / Qí Lán |
| Type | Wuyi Rock Tea (Yancha), Oolong Tea |
| Origin | Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China |
| Cultivar | Qi Lan |
| Overall Score | 8.9/10 |
Brewing Parameters
- Water: Volvic Natural Mineral Water
- Teaware: Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Gaiwan
- Leaf: 5 g
- Water volume: 100–120 ml
- Temperature: 100°C
- Infusions: 11
Dry Leaf Aroma
7.8/10
Charred cinnamon and roasted hardwood dominate the aroma. Beneath the roast lies a restrained floral fragrance, suggesting greater complexity waiting to unfold.
Warm Gaiwan
Lid
Floral, woody and elegant.
Cup
Earthier, charcoal-driven and deeper, revealing the tea’s roasted foundation.
After the Rinse
The tea awakens quickly.
The lid develops a mild astringency with emerging fruit.
The empty cup becomes far more expressive, revealing distinct rock fruit, passionfruit and gentle wood as the charcoal quietly retreats.
Infusion Journey
Infusion 1
A bright golden liquor introduces fruity minerality with a woody finish.
The liquor coats the entire palate, leaving a clean mineral sensation that lingers after swallowing.
Infusion 2
Woody minerality becomes the dominant flavour while the fruit remains highly aromatic.
The liquor glides effortlessly along the sides of the tongue before reaching the throat, producing an exceptionally smooth swallow.
Infusion 3
A gentle astringency appears.
Wood and rock minerality blend into a single expression.
The coating settles mainly across the middle and back of the tongue, producing a silky mouthfeel accompanied by a mild bitterness and delicate floral finish.
Infusion 4
Rock minerality and astringency fully converge.
The mineral sensation settles across the middle and back of the tongue and palate before giving way to a mild returning sweetness.
Tea Imagery
A colourful butterfly, adorned with white and yellow spots, blue stripes and delicate black outlines, lands upon a solitary rock.
Everything around it remains softly blurred.
Only the butterfly and the rock are in focus.
Infusion 5
The minerality sharpens.
A gentle bitterness appears, reminiscent of mineral sediments hidden within ancient rock.
The liquor clings firmly to the hard palate and middle of the tongue while a subtle dryness begins to develop.
The aftertaste becomes sweet and fruity.
Tea Imagery
The butterfly’s feet become dusted with a thin chalky white coating rising from the rock.
It slowly opens and closes its wings, remaining perfectly content where it rests.
Infusion 6
Everything comes together.
Sharp rock minerality.
Sticky coating.
Gentle fruit.
Returning sweetness.
Even a faint suggestion of the ocean appears in the finish.
Tea Imagery
The surroundings gradually come into focus.
The solitary rock stands in the middle of the ocean.
Gentle waves roll across the sea and softly break nearby.
The butterfly continues resting upon the rock as though it has finally found its home.
Infusion 7
The tea stabilises.
Its balance remains unchanged.
The evening sun reflects across the water while the butterfly gently moves its wings, quietly admiring the endless horizon.
Infusion 8
The liquor becomes lighter in colour.
Remarkably, the flavour remains consistent.
The sweetness continues to linger long after each sip.
The sun slowly begins its descent.
Infusion 9
Sweetness becomes the tea’s dominant memory as the minerality gradually fades.
Tea Imagery
The butterfly shakes the chalky dust from its feet before circling around the rock, reluctant to leave.
Infusion 10
The tea still possesses admirable strength despite the later infusions.
Its balance softens gracefully without losing its identity.
Tea Imagery
The tide slowly rises around the solitary rock.
The butterfly continues circling as the sea gradually submerges its resting place.
Infusion 11
The colours and flavours gently fade.
Only a lingering sweetness remains.
It reminds me of yellow dragonfruit—clean, delicate and quietly satisfying.
Tea Imagery
Only the very tip of the rock remains above the rising tide.
The butterfly returns one final time, resting peacefully upon it.
The sun quietly yields to the moon.
Nothing dramatic happens.
The sea continues its rhythm.
The butterfly remains for one last silent moment.
The story ends.
Spent Leaves
8.9/10
One of the more beautiful wet leaf presentations among the Wuyi rock teas I have reviewed.
The leaves are large, remarkably uniform in both size and colour, and open beautifully after brewing. Their supple texture and consistency reflect careful processing and help explain the tea’s stability throughout the session.
Tasting Scorecard
| Attribute | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Leaf Aroma | 7.8/10 | Charred cinnamon, roasted wood and restrained floral fragrance. |
| Wet Leaf Aroma | 8.6/10 | Rock fruit, passionfruit, gentle wood, earthy minerality and fading charcoal. |
| Floral | 7.2/10 | Initially restrained before gradually emerging as a delicate lingering aftertaste. |
| Fruit | 8.3/10 | Rock fruit and passionfruit evolve into lingering yellow-dragonfruit sweetness. |
| Wood | 8.2/10 | A constant backbone supporting the fruit and minerality. |
| Minerality | 9.2/10 | Sharp, expressive rock minerality builds steadily before integrating with sweetness and fruit. |
| Sweetness | 8.8/10 | Returning sweetness grows progressively stronger and persists into the final infusions. |
| Bitterness | 7.2/10 | Gentle and controlled, contributing structure rather than harshness. |
| Roast | 7.4/10 | Moderate roast with light charcoal influence that gradually integrates. |
| Body | 8.6/10 | Silky, smooth and substantial throughout the session. |
| Mouthfeel | 9.0/10 | Sticky, silky and exceptionally persistent across the palate and tongue. |
| Finish | 9.0/10 | Long, sweet mineral finish with lingering fruit and a faint oceanic impression. |
| Yan Yun (Rock Rhyme) | 9.3/10 | Wet stone, mineral sediments, cave-like freshness and subtle maritime character. |
| Longevity | 9.2/10 | Excellent flavour, structure and sweetness through eleven infusions. |
| Cha Qi | 6.9/10 | Gentle, calming and contemplative rather than powerful. |
| Overall Impression | 8.9/10 | One of the most consistent and complete Wuyi rock teas reviewed. |
Overall Impression
A tea built upon a foundation of pronounced rock minerality.
A persistent coating accompanies the drink from beginning to end, while roasted wood and gentle char provide structure throughout the session.
Layers of lingering fruit weave in and out of the experience before settling into a long, sweet finish touched by the faintest suggestion of the ocean.
Rather than relying on dramatic changes, Qi Lan impresses through its remarkable consistency, composure and balance across eleven infusions.
Final Reflection
Some teas tell stories of towering mountains, ancient forests or long journeys.
This Qi Lan tells a quieter story.
A butterfly.
A solitary rock rising from the middle of the ocean.
The passing of a day.
The changing of the tide.
Nothing seeks attention.
Nothing resists change.
Yet both the butterfly and the tea leave behind a quiet memory—one defined not by intensity, but by stillness, balance and the lingering sweetness that remains long after the final cup has been emptied.
World Tea Verdict
- Overall: 8.9/10
- Best for: Drinkers seeking vivid rock rhyme, persistent palate coating and refined fruit-led sweetness.
- Character: Composed, balanced and quietly beautiful.
Brewing Recommendation
Use 5 g of leaf in a 100–120 ml porcelain gaiwan with Volvic Natural Mineral Water at 100°C. Follow the tea patiently through eleven infusions as its fruit-led minerality settles into a long, clean sweetness.
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